How to Draw Expressions | 09 | Mixing and Matching Expressions

Mixing and Matching Expressions

Here’s a look at the eight different expressions that you’ve gone over in this how to draw expressions video course. Human expressions are mainly formed by changing the eyes and the mouth. To put it simply: change the eyes – change the expression, change the mouth – change the expression.

The Expression Drawings You have Covered so Far

In this final lesson on how to draw expressions, you’ll take a look at just how much you’ve actually learned by mixing and matching these different expressions to form a whole new set of facial expressions. Keep in mind here that there’s no actual drawing that’s going to take place in this lesson. You’re just going to take note of how these expression drawings look different when you change which eyes are matched with a different mouth.

Take a minute just to go over the above example and once you are familiar with it, then look at the next set of facial drawing expressions.

The New Expressions

Look and compare the differences in expression between this second image and the first one on this page. To keep things simple for you the mouths have not been changed – only the eyes are different.

For example, let’s take a close look at the second head. Originally it was drawn as a simple smile expression, but now with these new eyes taken from the former furious expression (bottom-left head in the top image) you can see that the simple smile has become somewhat sinister and more determined.

Have fun with this, and try to create your own variations of facial expression drawings by mixing up these different features.

We hope that you learned a lot in this series, and that you can start to apply these lessons to your own characters immediately to give them all different kinds of emotions! Remember to keep your pocket mirror handy while you are drawing so that you can use your own face as reference when you are trying to draw.

If you liked this series on how to draw expressions please leave us a comment below and tell us what you thought!

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Hi! I'm here to help artists get clear on their next steps. I spent 10 years working as a video game and special effects artist, and now work full time to share my knowledge and connect artists with the advice they need.